The Nagoya Grampus striker, who is pushing for selection for Australia for the World Cup qualifier in Saitama next month, suggests that Socceroos boss Holger Osieck will need to keep a close eye on the Manchester United and CSKA Moscow stars if the visitors are any chance of a win.

"If those two are allowed to get in their stride they can damage any team," he told SBS. "If you can keep them quiet then it's a big bonus."

He added: "Looking at our situation, we need three really good performances in a row to make sure we qualify and that's well within the capability of the squad.

"It's a game that we can certainly win but also a game where a point would not be a bad outcome either."

About the author

Andrew Slevison is an avid sports fan, particularly of the world game. The Melbourne, Australia native, who has spent time living in London and travelling South America, takes a keen interest in the English Premier League and Major League Soccer and rates his best live footballing moment as the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil.